Monday, February 13, 2012

Remembering Edward Voss

Edward Voss, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, passed away this afternoon. Voss is perhaps best known for his 3 volume work Michigan Flora. Weighing in just north of 1850 pages, Michigan Flora describes all of the plants in Michigan. This is a monumental achievement considering the genus Carex alone has more than 400 species in Michigan. To say the least, Ed Voss was a botanical badass. Thought I never got a chance to meet him, I will always remember this quote from Michigan Flora, Part III: Dicots Concluded:
Origanum vulgare Oregano; Wild-marjoram. Native principally in the Mediterranean region, occasionally escaped from herb gardens to roadside bangs, refuse piles, and waste ground. The chief habitat in Michigan is on Pizza.

2 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear this. Love the quote.
    - Aina

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  2. Ed was a fantastic human being. His love for facts, minutiae and grammar made him a stickler and made him the best in his field. In today's world of textbooks and news that virtually always stray from the facts and what is scientifically correct, Ed held steady. His books are marvelous and meticulous. He will be missed.
    -Jeremy

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